'I’ve gotten 60 so far': Ottawa woman targets anti-trans stickers in ByWard Market
In Ottawa’s ByWard Market, cryptic messages are showing up; posted on poles and garbage bins.
They are signs with anti-trans messages, and Charlotte Helen Robertson is making it her mission to tear them down.
"Since this past Saturday walking home, I’ve now pulled down, I believe it’s 60 so far," Robertson, who lives in the market, said.
A trans-woman, Robertson says she has noticed the signs appearing in the downtown for more than a year now, but the frequency, and the messages themselves, have changed since the announcement of the upcoming election.
"A lot of these stickers explicitly reference elections; they’ve really started putting them up a lot more," Robertson said.
Some display messages that read, "If you don’t respect my sex, don’t expect my ex," with the title "Canada Election 2021."
Others call to "keep prisons single sex", while some simply read, “Woman. Noun. Adult human female.”
Although some messages may appear subtle or subversive, Robertson says the signs are clear dog whistles.
“It’s coded in such a way that it’s not very visible to people who don’t necessarily know about the issues,” Robertson said.
"We need to be aware of the dog-whistles that are being used by the people who are organizing these campaigns and attacking these demographics," she added.
Advocates say the hateful message behind the stickers is clear.
"It sends a message to every trans person who sees that that there are folks in this city who just don’t want them to be here, that feel like our presence in public space should be contested," Fae Johnstone, Executive Director of Wisdom2Action said.
It’s unclear who is putting up the stickers in the ByWard Market. CTV News reached out to one company whose website is listed on some of the stickers and is selling them on their website, but did not receive a response.
Advocates say the increase in anti-trans signage is concerning, particularly as anti-trans rhetoric is on the rise in the United States and the United Kingdom. Johnstone says there are fears similar anti-trans movements could become more vocal in Canada.
"They look at what’s happening in the U.S., they look at what’s happening in the U.K. and they say, 'Oh that looked like it succeeded, let’s bring that here too,'" Johnstone says.
The Ontario NDP says it has already received backlash over a promise to fund transition drugs and make gender-affirming surgeries more accessible.
"There has been a vocal pushback from, like I said, that growing anti-LGBTQ movement in the Anglosphere about how the LGBTQ community is attacking kids and we saw very similar arguments 30 years ago when gay rights were coming to the front," Ottawa-Vanier NDP candidate Lyra Evans said.
In a statement, Ottawa Police say they’ve not had any complaints about the signage, but are encouraging any witnesses to contact them.
"Marriage equality didn’t end homophobia, trans-rights didn’t get rid of transphobia. We need all of our governments, all of non-profits, all of our policymakers to wake up to the crisis happening in communities today," Johnstone said.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Canadian gov't proposes new foreign influence registry as part of wide-spanning new bill
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's government is proposing a suite of new measures and law changes aimed at countering foreign interference in Canada, amid extensive scrutiny over past meddling attempts and an ever-evolving threat landscape.
Boeing Starliner capsule's first crewed test flight postponed
The long-awaited first crewed test flight of Boeing's new Starliner space capsule was called off for at least 24 hours over a technical issue that launch teams were unable to resolve in time for the planned Monday night lift-off.
Teacher charged in historical sexual assault of Calgary teenage girl
Calgary police have charged a teacher with the alleged sexual assault of a teenage girl more than 20 years ago.
Winnipeg man admits to killing four women, argues he's not criminally responsible
Defence lawyers of Jeremy Skibicki have admitted in court the accused killed four Indigenous women, but argues he is not criminally responsible for the deaths by way of mental disorder – this latest development has triggered a judge-alone trial rather than a jury trial.
Man banned from owning animals after fatal Calgary dog attack
The owner of three Calgary dogs that got loose and mauled a woman to death in 2022 has been ordered to pay a $15,000 fine within one year and banned from owning any animal for 15 years.
East-end Ottawa family dealing with massive rat infestation
Residents in Ottawa’s Elmridge Gardens complex are dealing with a rat infestation that just won’t go away. Now, after doing everything they can to try to fix the issue, they are pleading with the city to step in and help.
Mediterranean staple may lower your risk of death from dementia, study finds
A daily spoonful of olive oil could lower your risk of dying from dementia, according to a new study by Harvard scientists.
An El Nino-less summer is coming. Here's what that could mean for Canada
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.
Newfoundland and Labrador latest province to tighten rules on Airbnbs
Newfoundland and Labrador is the latest jurisdiction to bring in stricter rules for short-term rentals, with a coming set of regulations that will force operators to register with the provincial government.